Living In Twilight
by MarqueeMoonGirl
Summary: The Gorillaz rent a cabin up in New York's Adirondack Mountains for a group sabbatical, unaware of the evil that lurks near the isolated cabin after dark. Part 5 added: The ghost is in the cabin, and it wants one thing: 2D's soul. COMPLETE
1. Arrival

_Living in Twilight_

_By MarqueeMoonGirl_

part ONE:

———

A wild deer ambled silently across the quiet country road, dimly aware of the faint roar of an engine in the distance. It wasn't right there, the deer reasoned, so it had nothing to worry about. Besides, most of those stupid humans were more worried about damaging their precious cars and would stop to let the deer cross. At most, they would impatiently honk the horn to make it hurry. Not that it would, of course.

The deer had never met the likes of Murdoc Niccals before.

The Geep exploded from the crest of a small incline in the road, becoming airborne for a few seconds before dropping like a stone. The deer darted off to safety a nanosecond before the vehicle would've collided with it.

From the Geep, Murdoc looked in the rear-view mirror and frowned. "Fuck. Almost got that one too."

In the passenger seat, 2D tilted his head quizzically at the driver. "You almost hit Bambi's mum back there, Murdoc."

"Thanks for stating the obvious, brainache."

"I would also prefer to not have to see a defenseless animal be slaughtered, Murdoc-san." Noodle piped up from the back seat. "We should cherish and preserve nature, and not kill it carelessly."

Murdoc silently rolled his eyes. If 2D or Russel lectured him, he would shoot back a profanity-laced retort on why he didn't give a fuck to what either of them thought. Noodle was different. Even if he didn't like what she said, he would usually let it go with a minimum of complaint. Didn't mean he had to do what she asked, although she had an uncanny way of knowing what to say to get all of them to seriously listen to her.

Russel, who had spent the most of the trip from the New York City airport terminal to the Adirondack Mountains asleep, stirred slightly. "What'd he do now?"

"He almost hit a deer. On purpose." 2D volunteered, earning himself a slap across the head from Murdoc. 2D rubbed the spot tenderly. "Oooww. That smarts, Murdoc!" He whined.

"And you think I care?" The bassist snapped.

"You have a twisted little mind, Muds." Russel sighed, still too sleeply to object to Murdoc's abuse of the lead singer. "Just try to keep your bloodlust down until we get to the cabin, a'wight?"

"Yes, this is what will hopefully be a relaxing sabbatical for the group. It would be bad to start it out by squishing small animals for amusement." Noodle said, then slipped her earbuds back on and watched the mountain trees flash past as Coldplay assured her that she lived in a beautiful world. Yeah, she did, yeah she did.

Murdoc grumbled something that sounded like 'Fine'. "No animals and small children."

"Or cyclists."

"Man, you take all the fun out of living, Russ. All right. None of them either."

———

They missed the cabin that they were staying at the first time they zoomed past it at a thousand miles per hour. Driving the Geep backwards, Murdoc stopped in front of a small hill. The butt of a smoldering cigarette fell out of his mouth, creating another small burn on the driver's seat.

"This someone's idea of a sick joke?" Russel growled from the rumble seat.

On top of the hill was a structure that could be called a 'cabin' in only the loosest sense of the word. The small building was covered in wood siding with peeling brown paint. A stone chimney on one side of the cabin was tilting in a way chimneys should never go. Nature had outdone itself in reclaiming the land: the weeds on the hill easily came up to Noodle's calves. A small dirt driveway had been cut into the hill, although it had also become overgrown with weeds. A small dirty white shed was at the end of the driveway.

Through a bit of tricky maneuvering, Murdoc pulled the Geep into the driveway. The passengers bounced up and down over the uneven earth until Murdoc killed the engine.

There was a moment of silence as the four looked at the dilapidated cabin. 2D was the first to speak. "It looks like where they filmed those 'Evil Dead' movies."

Russel looked like he could kill their travel agent. "This...this is disappointing." He barely manged to choke out, a vein in his forehead twitching violently.

"How much did you pay for a two weeks stay? Three thousand American dollars, wasn't it? And no refunds?"

"Shut up, Muds." Russel said, barely above a tense growl. He roughly grabbed his suitcase and headed for the top of the small hill.

The three in the Geep looked at each other. He was actually going in there? "Russel-san? We are staying here?" Noodle asked warily.

The large man twisted the key into the lock, almost snapping the cheap metal in two. "YES."

———

If it was possible, the interior of the cabin looked worse then the outside. The walls were bare studs; a plank across the ceiling with three bare lightbulbs hanging from it were the main source of light. Thick films of dust and mouse dropping covered most surfaces. A vintage 1950s fridge rumbled noisily in one corner next to a dirty stove and oven, presumably in what was the kitchen. A few feet away were the four bunk beds, a small table and an old, slightly chewed sofa covered with an old bedsheet. An old iron stove and a small bundle of firewood stood close to the door.

Murdoc stood in the doorway a moment to survey his surroundings, his travel bag in one hand and his instrument case in the other. "My Winnie is in better shape then this place.." He grumbled. "Doesn't even have a damn toilet."

2D, who was checking out a shelf full of old medications in the kitchen area, happened to look out a small window next to the shelf. "Ah, I think I found it, Murdoc."

Murdoc joined him in the kitchenette. "That's not..." He trailed off, realization striking him. "Sweet Satan, it is."

"What?" Russel asked, easing himself into the small kitchen area.

"It's a disconnected telephone box."

"With cardboard taped over the glass." 2D added.

Russel leaned towards the window, his lips curling back. "And _why _is there a disconnected phone booth out there?"

"I suppose it's where you answer the call of nature." 2D said, quite proud of himself for thinking up something so witty. The disgusted looks he recieved from Murdoc and Russel flew right over his head.

———

After brief encounters with the phone booth out back, a cold mountain night was starting fall upon the cabin. Noodle, the last one to use the makeshift outhouse, came in carrying her bedrool and two large suitcases, stuffed to bust with clothes and cosmetics. While the fridge was old and loud, it seemed to work all right, and Russel had already started moving some of the food they had brought inside it. 2D had taken the sheets covering the bunk bed's mattress and the sofa outside and shook the mouse droppings out. A small hand-vac had been unearthed from underneath one of the bunks, and Murdoc was grudgingly using it to get rid of the dust and turds on the floor and furniture. Noodle climbed onto one the top bunks and unrolled her sleeping bag after stowed her three suitcases in the rafters above her.

"This one is mine." She called over the noise of the hand-vac, pointing to her bunk.

2D, who had moved on to cleaning the oven, glanced at Murdoc, who shut off the hand-vac. Before Russel or Noodle could react, both of them darted to the remaining top bunk.

The blue-haired singer had almost reached the bunks when Murdoc stomped down on his instep. With a high-pitched yelp, 2D lost his balance and went sprawling into the lower bunk, raising a tremendous cloud of dust. Smiling triumphantly, Murdoc pulled himself onto the upper bunk. "Nice try, dullard."

2D pulled himself into a sitting position and rubbed his sore foot, saying nothing.

Her face softening, Noodle sat down on 2D's bunk. "Where does it hurt, 2D-san?" She reached out to rub his injured foot.

2D wouldn't look at the young girl. "It's all right. I've got some pills on me somewhere."

Noodle shook her head. "No, you don't. You said on the plane you'd left them at Kong, remember?"

At this, 2D burst into tears and collapsed into Noodle's arms. It was too much for him to bear. She gave him a hug and patted him on the back.

As Russel placed the last carton of milk into the fridge, he glared at Murdoc.

The bassist only gave Russel a toothy grin.

———

After Noodle cheered 2D up with a package of cookies she'd bought at the airport, the singer had curled up on his mattress, exhausted. Russel started to prepare dinner as Noodle and Murdoc carried the last pieces of luggage in from the Geep. The night air was chilly, and Murdoc started a small fire in the iron stove to warm up the cabin.

With the fire going and the place relatively cleaned up, it was almost cozy, Noodle thought.

"Dammit 2D, there's a dead rat in the oven!" Russel yelled.

Or not.

"And whose fault is that, exactly?" Murdoc called over from the iron stove. "_You're_ the one who insisted we stay in '_la cabina de la mierda del roedor'_."

"The _what_!"

"Roughly translated, 'The Cabin of Rodent Shit'." He threw another log into the stove and latched the door shut.

"Look, we paid for this cabin. We paid _a lot _for this cabin, and we're going to _use _it."

"We got burned, Russ. We got burned _real bad_. Any fool can see that our agent took advantage of us and is off in some fantastically tropical locale right now, just burning through the pile of money we paid him for this place. "

Noodle had been looking through a small bureau while Russel and Murdoc had been arguing, and now she waved a small sheet of paper between them. "I've found something!"

"What, love?" 2D said.

"It appears to be instructions on taking care of the cabin. Things we should know and what we should and should not do." She looked closely at it. "It is dated 'March 29th, 1973.'"

"Heh. Well, _this _should be good for a laugh." Murdoc grinned, and sat on the small, uncomfortable sofa covered by a chewed bedsheet.

"What does it say?" Russel asked.

"That we should leave the cabin the same way we found it..."

Murdoc laughed wickedly. "You hear that, Russ? We have to smear this place with eighteen tons of rat crap before we leave. It's a rule."

"Shut it, man."

"...that they, the people who are renting this place I assume, will replace the phone booth with an actual outhouse soon..."

The bassist snorted while Russel just shook his head.

"That we shouldn't smoke inside the cabin..."

Murdoc was about to make another wry comment when 2D sat bolt upright in his bunk, suddenly very much awake. "What'd it say about not smoking!"

"That is what it says..." Noodle said.

"But I need my cigarettes!" The singer cried.

"If it bothers you that much, smoke outside moron." Murdoc said. "It's just tobacco."

"But it's cold out there..."

Russel looked at Murdoc and lifted an eyebrow. "What are you talkin' about? You were practically shaking from nicotine withdrawal when we got off the plane."

"Because I'd been stuck on a small aircraft with you and numb-nuts over there for half a day!" Murdoc yelled. "I _needed _that smoke!"

Russel bit back a nasty retort. "What else does it say, Noodle?"

"Ah? Oh, um, it says there's a trail to a small creek behind the cabin; and that we can get wash-water there. It suggests getting our drinking water from somewhere else. It also says to not go outside after dark...?" Noodle looked this last guideline confused. "_Nani_?"

Murdoc snorted again. "Not bloody likely." He muttered.

"These people...have seen where the bathroom is, haven't they? Do we piss into a pop bottle during the night?" 2D said.

Murdoc gave a hollow laugh. "Hell no. I didn't even have to resort to that in jail. In fact, I actually had a honest-to-Satan urinal in Tijuana. Flushed and everything."

Noodle looked on the back of the paper. "How strange. That is all they wrote."

"Oh! Maybe there are zombies around!" 2D said, snapping his fingers. He looked almost excited at the thought of facing off against an army of the undead.

Russel shrugged, then shook his head. "Nah, I don't think the US has a lot of zombies anymore. The ones that _are_ around usually stick closer to cities anyway---y'know, densely populated area equals more food."

"Oh." 2D said, deflating. "Nevermind then."

———

_The spirits pressed as far as they could. The lighted windows of the abandoned cabin attracted them to it like moths to a bare lightbulb. Inside the cabin, they could feel humans. Actual humans! They had almost forgotten what a human felt like. And this time, not just one, but four! One spirit noticed that one of the souls inside the small building burned brighter then the rest. The spirit practically buzzed with excitement. None of the others had noticed the bright soul, and it wanted to keep it that way for now._

_That bright soul would belong to it soon enough._

END: part ONE


	2. Twilight

_Living in Twilight_

_By MarqueeMoonGirl_

part TWO

---

After removing the dead rat and cleaning the oven as best he could, Russel put four frozen TV dinners inside.

"This trip just keeps getting better and better." Murdoc said from the sofa, holding a yellowed and slightly chewed newspaper he'd found in a small magazine rack next to the sofa. ('THE MINERVA TIMES: Landowners to retain exclusive fishing rights on waterways passing through their property') "I'd just like to remind you before you eat that glorified salt lick that our mobiles don't have any service here and the nearest hospital is more then thirty miles away." He started reading the front page. "And I don't feel like driving tonight."

"I'm not gonna have a heart attack, Muds."

Murdoc stuck out his abnormally large tounge at him. "The way you eat? What you eat? At this point it's only a matter of time, lard-belly."

"Don't make me break your nose again."

Noodle was on her bunk, unpacking some of her things. A small alarm clock and flashlight were already out, and her acoustic guitar was spread across her sleeping bag. "Please; relaxing sabattical! No violence!"

"He started it." Murdoc grumbled, returning his attention to the newspaper. Apparently August 6th, 1997 had been a lovely sunny day with temperatures in the high 80s. After a few more minutes of leafing through old news, he threw it aside. "I'm going out for a smoke."

"Great." Russel said, trying to get the forty-year old stove working. "Get some water from the stream while you're out there. I wanna boil it before we go to bed."

Two large empty tin milkcans stood by the iron stove. "Those things are fuckin' huge. I can't carry both of them full." The bassist protested.

Russel sighed, twisting the small dial on the stove back and forth in hopes of getting some reaction from tit. "2D, go help Murdoc with the water."

The singer winced. "But he'll 'urt me." He pointed out. "'e always does."

"Not when he's got the threat of both kneecaps smashed hanging over his head." The drummer growled to Murdoc, who shrank back from the larger man.

---

Murdoc was holding the flashlight under one arm and dragging the tin can behind him dejectedly, his cigarette drooping from one corner of his mouth. One thing 2D had envied about Murdoc was that he could talk while smoking without the cigarette dropping out of his mouth. It was a skill. And right now Murdoc was using that skill to cuss out Russel in the drummer's absence. "Fucking little wanker..."

"Aw, 'e's not that bad."

"Shut your trap. I'm venting."

2D cocked his head to one side. "Venting? Why?"

"Well, I'm stuck in a cabin that by all rights should've been demolished several decades ago with a little girl, a brute of a drummer, and a lead singer who barely remembers his real name."

The singer looked sheepish. "It's got 'Stuart' in it somewhere..."

"There, you see? Now, if that cabin was full of a never-ending stream of girls and liquor, it might be more tolerable."

"Well, what's so difficult 'bout putting up wit us?"

Murdoc looked at him like he had a third arm growing out of his head. "Have you _ever _actually listened to some of the things you say? My raven makes more sense then you do most of the time."

"That's only 'cause of the pills. And the headaches." 2D said, then frowned. "My pills..."

Murdoc shot the singer a dirty look. "You start moaning about those again and I'll toss you in the creek."

2D pouted, but kept his mouth shut.

After a few more minutes of silent walking, Murdoc stopped and shone the flashlight around. "Where the hell is that stream? Calcutta?"

The blue haired singer looked around the woods. Over the spindy limbs of trees, a large moon fell close to the earth, casting everything in a dull white glow. His eyes could almost see something. "Murdoc?"

"Yes, faceache?"

"What is that?"

Murdoc turned around. "What is what?" He said annoyed.

2D jerked a thumb behind him. "That."

The bassist looked past the tall singer, a look of utter contempt on his face. "That would be a tree, numb-nuts."

"No, no, no. Behind the tree."

Murdoc shone the small flashlight past the tree. "That's the stream. Congratulations, your vapid little brain has done something right for a change."

"Is that good?"

Murdoc rolled his eyes and held back an impluse to shove 2D in the stream. "Just get the water."

---

The lanky singer carried his full milkcan with both hands, water jostling out every so often. The feeling that something was following him, that something wanted him, hadn't gone away. It had grown stronger with every step along the trail. 2D gulped, his adam's apple bobbing up and down. Finally, he spoke. " 'ow far away are we from the cabin, Murdoc?"

If the bassist noticed the note of fear in the singer's voice, he didn't show it, and for once 2D was glad not to be berated. "Not that far."

Silence fell between them again as they kept walking. After a minute or two of this, the singer cleared his throat again. "Why do you think they told us not to go outside the cabin after dark?"

"Damned if I know."

2D didn't hear a word Murdoc had said; the singer had looked back over his shoulder and what he'd seen had vapor-locked his brain. 'Eep' was the only thing he was able to say.

That one word was enough to cause Murdoc's short temper to blow. Wheeling around, he yelled "Christ, 2D, will you just SHU--" before the rest of the words died in his throat.

Floating directly behind 2D was a wispy, ethereal creature in a billowing but tattered white cloak. Two long, bony hands were digging into 2D's shoulders. The singer's body was rigid, as if whatever was behind him had paralyzed him, but his black eyes darted from the creature to the bassist back to the creature in a clear plea for help.

Murdoc hefted the milk can. Full of water, he estimated it weighed about thirty pounds. Grunting, he swung the metal can in a circle and let go. Sailing through the air, it collided with the creature's hooded face with a satisfying crunch. Surprised more then hurt, it loosened it's grip on 2D for a second.

Darting forward, Murdoc grabbed 2D's bare arm and wrenched the now-limp singer away from the creature. Feeling slightly dizzy, he sprinted back towards the cabin, dragging the unfortunate singer behind him,

---

Russel was checking on the dinners cooking in the oven when Murdoc burst back into the cabin, dragging 2D by the back of his shirt. Letting the blue-haired man go, he slammed the door shut, locked it, and shoved the fleabag sofa in front of it before the drummer could turn around.

The sound of the door slamming made Noodle look up from her open book. "Murdoc-san? 2D-san?" She looked at 2D's body crumpled on the floor where Murdoc had dropped him. "2D-SAN!" She yelled, jumping down from her bunk.

Standing up, Russel looked at 2D. "What the hell's wrong with you!" He yelled. "What the fuck did you do to him!"

Murdoc was panting heavily, the adrenaline still coursing through his body. "I didn't do shit to him! If anything, I just saved his life from whatever that...thing is that's out there!"

Kneeling next to the singer, Noodle gently felt 2D's head. "Russel-san, I see no sign of injury. I think Murdoc-san is telling the truth."

"For once." Russel muttered. "What happened out there?"

"Oh, so you wanna know, do you?" A slightly mad grin on his face, Murdoc threw back the curtains covering a large albeit dusty picture window.

The cloaked creature was floating outside, its hands outstretched and pressed against the glass longingly.

"_That _is what happened."

Noodle and Russel both gasped as Murdoc drew the curtains shut again, hiding it from view. .

"What did it do to him?" Noodle said, her voice thin. "W-what is that thing anyway, Murdoc-san?"

"It attacked him. And I've got no fuckin' clue what it is, Noodle-girl." Murdoc said, shaking his head. He bent down over the singer's body. Although 2D's chest still raised and fell as he drew in breath, he couldn't shake the feeling that 2D had had something taken from him. Something important.

Or the fact that the same thing could've happened to him. That _he_ could be the one lying unconscious on the floor, barely alive, something irreplaceable stolen from him. Or Russel, or Noodle…

His mouth a tight line, Murdoc walked over the other windows in the cabin and made sure they were shut tight and covered. "No one goes outside until morning." He said in a rigid voice.


	3. Nightfall

_Living in Twilight_

_By MarqueeMoonGirl_

part THREE:

---

The three remaining Gorillaz ate their TV dinners in silence, their eyes glued to the covered picture window for most of the meal.

Noodle stirred the gravy-covered noodles of her dinner without much interest. "2D still hasn't woken up." she said quietly, looking at the singer's bunk.

That was all it took for Russel to drop his fork and put his head in his large hands dejectedly. "Oh God." He moaned. "Go ahead and say it, Muds."

Murdoc chewed on his tough and slightly burned Salisbury steak. "Say what, Russ?" he said innocently.

One white eye glared at him through a crack in the drummer's fingers. "You know what I mean, cracker-ass."

"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do. Now say it before I punch your skull in."

Murdoc sneered. "Fine. I told you so. There; happy, Lards?"

"Happy happy joy joy." said Russel flatly.

Noodle sighed and continued pushing the food around the cheap plastic tray as the table fell silent once again. "That thing cannot enter here?"

"If it could, I think it would've by now." Russel said. "I mean, you saw the way that thing was acting."

Noodle nodded. "It wants in because we have something it wants badly." Two green eyes stared at 2D, lying motionless on his bedroll. "Him."

"It's welcome to 'im, as far as I'm concerned." Murdoc said, ripping off another piece of the streak. "Nothing but a bloody nuisance anyway."

"But Murdoc-san, that is not true." Noodle replied. "You cared for him enough to save him from that monster."

_'A-are you talking about me?'_ 2D's voice asked thinly.

Murdoc looked over his shoulder to 2D's bunk. "About time you came 'round, dull--"

2D was still flat on his back, unconscious. He hadn't moved at all since Russel and Murdoc had carried him to his bunk almost an hour ago._ 'Bleedin' hell, what's goin' on?', _he thought_. 'That sounded just like 2D. But it couldn't have been 'im.'_

Noodle and Russel looked at Murdoc curiously. "Murdoc-san?" The teenage girl asked. "Why are you talking to yourself?"

_' 'ello? M-murdoc?' _2D's voice asked again, sounding just as unsteady and confused as before. _'Why couldn't it be me?'_

The bassist's eyes widened. _'Holy crap.' _Murdoc thought, '_2D, is that you?'_

_'Murdoc! Where are you?' _2D said, sounding frightened. _'I can't see you!"_

Murdoc closed his eyes and shook his head. "Christ. I refuse to deal with thi--"

_"I CAN'T SEE ANYTHING!' _2D suddenly yelled, causing Murdoc to twitch like he'd been electrocuted.

Russel watched all of this with a worried expression. "Murdoc, you're scaring me, man." he said. "What's going on?"

One blood-red eye opened slightly to look at Russel.

'_Wait! I _can _see!' _2D laughed sheepishly. '_Nevermind.'_

When Murdoc opened his mouth, he'd meant to tell Russel to mind his own damn business. What he ended up saying was…

"2D's in my brain and he won't fucking go away." Murdoc groaned and rubbed his forehead. "Crap."

"Say what?" Russel shouted, agitating the bassist more.

"Look, I don't know how it happened, but I can talk to 2D in my mind, and he can answer. When I shut my eyes, he freaked out and said he couldn't see anything."

_'I didn't freak out!'_ 2D interrupted, sounding a bit embarrassed. _'Did I freak out? I don't think I-'_

_'SHUT UP.' _Murdoc thought, then continued talking to Russel and Noodle. "That makes me think he's seeing what I see. As far as I can tell, I've got the little bugger riding shotgun in my brain."

"That's impossible." Russel said. "How can you be possessed by someone who's still alive?"

"I. Don't. Know." Murdoc said shortly, his temper flaring. "But there's a lot of weird shit going on right now. The fact that Two Dents is stuck in my head is probably the least of our worries right now, what with Mr. Bad Touch sitting outside our window."

2D, who had been silent while Murdoc and Russel talked, spoke up again. _'That ghost is still here?'_

_'Yeah, it hasn't gone away since we came back. Christ, D, what did that thing do to you?'_

There was silence on 2D's end for a long time. _'I think…it tried to devour my soul.'_

---

The leftover TV dinners had been thrown into the garbage can. Noodle was sitting on 2D's bunk, looking at her alarm clock. It was only nine o'clock, but it felt so much later. Part of it was jet lag, but another part of it was becuase of this awful place. What had happened so far was about as far away from a 'relaxing sabbatical' as it was possible to get.

"Russel-san, would it be possible for us to return 2D-san to his own body?" Noodle asked. "He looks so still and pale like that...and it can't be good for him to be seperated like this. What if something bad happens to his body and those two are stuck like that?"

The drummer shrugged and shook his head. "I don't know. We're all way out of our depth here, baby girl." He paused. "Murdoc, why don't you try touching him or something? Maybe that'll make him go back where he belongs."

"I touched him before, when I was helping you get him onto his bed. Obviously that didn't work, what makes you think it will now, Lards?"

"Just try it, Muds."

Grumbling, Murdoc walked to 2D's bunk and grasped the singer's limp wrist. _'Still here, dullard?'_

There was silence for a hopeful moment, until..._'Yes.' _2D said meekly.

"GOD-FUCKING-DAMMIT!" Murdoc yelled, throwing the singer's arm down.

Noodle's face fell. "2D-san..." Her eyes teared up slightly, and she turned her head away from the singer's empty body.

2D watched her through Murdoc's eyes. '_Murdoc...' _

_'WHAT!'_

_'I-I need to talk to Noodle.'_ The singer answered, stuttering slightly.

_'What?' _Murdoc repeated again. _'In case you haven't noticed, dullard; you no longer have a fuckin' voice!'_

_'Then can I borrow yours?'_

_'Ha ha ha. In your dreams, man. I wouldn't trust you with my dirty laundry; what makes you think I'd loan you my body?'_

_'Well, your mum sent us a few of your childhood snapshots for safe-keepin'.' _2D replied slyly. '_Just imagine what would happen if the press 'accidentally' got a hold of a photograph of Murdoc Niccals, age four, dressed up as an adorable black kitty-cat for Halloween.'_

_'...God damn you.' _Seething, Murdoc nevertheless stepped aside and let 2D take over control of his body.

2D in Murdoc's body bent over and gently wiped the tears from the young teenager's face. "You'll get those lovely green eyes all red and puffy if you keep crying, Noodle love." He was surprised to hear a change in Murdoc's voice when he spoke; although still definitely the bassist's, it sounded slightly higher pitched and uneven, but not gruff. More like his.

Noodle blinked. "2...D?" Her face brightened. "2D-san!" She threw her arms around 2D/Murdoc's neck and hugged tightly. 2D smiled and returned the hug. "It's true then." She said softly.

"'fraid it is, Noodly."

"But, what will happen to your body?" She asked.

"'ey, this isn't permanent, ya know! I mean, my body's still alive. I'm sure we can figure out something." '2D' said, ruffling Noodle's hair.

The hand on Noodle's head suddenly jerked away. "We'd better." Murdoc replied in his normal voice, taking back control for a moment. "This whole thing is driving me up a wall."

Russel was watching 2D and Noodle's reunion with a look of incredible confusion plastered on his face. He was thinking that being possessed by the souls of his dead friends back in New York should have prepared him better for something like this, but in all honesty, he had no clue what to do. Besides, most of them had vanished or moved on about a month after the drive-by shooting. Del had stuck around the longest, but they hadn't been able to stand talking via telepathy like 2D and Murdoc. If Del had something to say, he'd materialize outside of Russel and say it, something that 2D seemed unable to do. '_Probably because he's still alive. Once they're in a body, living souls are supposed to stay put. 'Course, that don't explain how 2D's mind got into Murdoc in the first place. God, this is confusing...'_

And watching Murdoc switching between being himself and being 2D was just weird anyway. He sighed, then stepped between Noodle and 2D/Murdoc.

"We're forgetting about that ghost outside, people, and that ain't good. Obviously, it's got a hand in what happened to 'D and Muds, so we gotta figure exactly what it did to have even a chance of undoing it. 2D, tell us everything that happened."

"Ah. All right." Murdoc's voice shifted into the higher register again. "Well, I was walkin' behind Murdoc after we'd gotten the water from the stream. I was feelin' a little frightened--"

Murdoc's voice became gravelly again. "Fuckin' pansy..."

"Shut it, Murdoc!" The bassist said in the higher voice.

Noodle and Russel stared blankly at Murdoc arguing with himself, then looked at each other and shrugged.

"Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, I hear something behind me and I turn around. That spooky ghost-thing is floatin' behind me, and before I realize it, it places both hands on my shoulders. I'm scared and try to run away, but the thing won't let me move at all. Then, it starts talkin' to me in this really scratchy, 'orrible-sounding voice. Over and over it says I'm the brightest soul, and that it needs me and the others to survive. Then, it starts sucking whatever it is that makes me, well, _me_ out of my body. It was awful: felt like I'd disappear into that icky thing at any second as soon as it was finished pullin' me out."

"2D, for God's sake, take a breath before you make Murdoc turn blue and pass out." Russel interrupted.

'2D' panted slightly, then launched back into his explaination. "My vision is fading to the point where I can't see at all, but I hear Murdoc throwin' 'is milk-can at the thing, and it lets go for a second when the can 'its it's head. The last thing I feel is Murdoc pullin' me, or my body anyway, out of the thingie's hands, and then--I guess I must've entered Murdoc, 'cause I saw the cabin growin' closer and I could see again, but I couldn't control what I saw: it was like watchin' the telly. I thought maybe I'd died."

"If only." Murdoc muttered.

"Muds! That wasn't very nice. " '2D' chastised.

"Sorry to break the news to ya, numb-nuts, but I'm not a nice person." replied Murdoc.

Russel shook his head. "This is some messed up shit."

"Stop it, all of you!" Noodle yelled. "2D, you said that when Murdoc grabbed you out of the ghost, that was when you entered him?"

2D made Murdoc's head bob up and down. "Yeah! The thing was almost ready to, I guess, swallow me and I knew that would be the end o' me—another second and you'd be lookin' for a new lead singer—but when he took 'old of my arm, I found myself inside 'im."

"A'wight, so that thing grabs a person, and draws out their souls to 'eat' them. It tried to pull that on 'D, only Murdoc got in the way and 2D's soul was drawn into him instead. That sound right, 'D?"

"Yeah." '2D' said, and shuddered. "It was awful, I felt so 'elpless."

Noodle had sat down on 2D's bunk and was stroking the singer's hair absentmindedly. "Poor 2D-san." She murmured.

"Yeah, poor me." said '2D'.

'_Hold on a second.' _Murdoc thought. _'Your bunk has a bookshelf in it?'_

'_Er. Yeah, I guess. Why?'_

Murdoc walked over to 2D's bunk and pulled out a thin leather-bound book from the shelf. He opened it and flipped though the pages.

"Whatcha got there?" Russel asked, unsure as to who was in control of Murdoc's body at the moment.

Murdoc laid the book open on the table and slid it toward Noodle and Russel. "The guestbook." he said.

A detailed ink drawing of the ghost-creature outside was spread across two pages.

END: part THREE

MarqueeMoonGirl sez: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! You guys make me happy. : )


	4. Midnight

_Living in Twilight_

_By MarqueeMoonGirl_

part FOUR

---

"'August 6th, 1997'," Murdoc read from the guestbook. "'Frank and I arrived at the cabin late afternoon for a week-long rustic rest and relaxation in the mountains. What a delightful little cabin! After unloading the car, Frank wants to go out to dinner at a restaurant he heard about from one of the locals called 'The Place'. Let's see if we can get to the car without walking into those trees in the dark. I'll write down how our meal went when we get back. Josie H. '"

"So they went out after dark too. What happened to them?" asked Russel.

"Take a wild guess, Lards. The next entry is written in, I guess, the husband's handwriting." Murdoc said. "'I have to write this down. I feel like I'll go insane if I don't. Maybe I already am, I don't know. All I know for sure is that my wife Josie is dead.'"

The drummer and guitarist gasped again. "It killed her?" Noodle asked worriedly.

"'We were both waiting outside while I tried to unlock the door in the dark. We'd both seen the rules that say don't go outside after dark, but we ignored that one: it just seemed silly at the time.'" Murdoc continued by way of an answer. "'The lock was old and it took a while to open. I heard Josie give a little gasp, and I turned around. I'm still not sure if what I saw was real, but a horrible ghost-like thing was clutching her by her shoulders. She looked absolutely weak, but her eyes kept looking at me, begging for help.'"

In Murdoc's mind, 2D shuddered, remembering an unpleasant memory.

"'I couldn't move. Why didn't I move? I was scared. A ghost-creature had my wife. I'd never believed in ghosts, not even when I was a little kid. She couldn't move either, but I could tell that thing was doing horrible something to her. (Draining her?) Whatever it was doing to her, it was over in less then a minute. I could tell by the way she had suddenly wilted that she was dead, that it had used her up. I deal with death on an almost daily basis; I work in an inner-city hospital. I've grown used to it, or at least that's what I thought.'"

Noodle looked terrified.

"'The thing vanished, taking Josie's corpse with it. I rushed inside and locked the door, and then sat down on the sofa, thinking about what had happened and wanting to cry. I soon realized that I should've ran to my car and driven away instead, as the creature returned, without my wife, about half an hour later. This time I knew it was after me. For some reason, it couldn't enter the cabin; it would just drift in front of the window, looking at me. I kept the curtains open just long enough to draw a sketch of it, then shut them. Looking at that thing makes me want to vomit. Looks like I'm holed up in this dump until morning.'" Murdoc flipped past the drawing to find one more sentence written on the back of it in small letters. "'She's calling me, but it's still night: I'm going outside.'" He thumbed through the rest of the pages, but they were all blank. "That's all."

Noodle stared at the tablecloth, her face scrunched up in a miserable frown.

Russel gently patted her shoulder. "Noodle?"

"I'm…sorry, Russel-san." she said quietly and then ran to the sofa in front of the door and began pushing it out of the way.

"Noodle! No!" Russel grabbed the teenager away from the door. "You can't go out there!"

"Someone…Russel-san, someone needs me." She said, near tears. "I have to go. It could be Mr. Kyuzo! He could be in trouble! The Japanese government could've found out he let me liv—"

Grasping her shoulders and kneeling so he was at her eye level, Russel said slowly, "Listen to me, Noodle. Mr. Kyuzo isn't out there. It's the ghost, it's doing this to you. It wants you to go outside so it can take your soul. I know it's hard, but you need to stay here with the rest of us.."

The purple-haired girl looked at the floor, suddenly ashamed of herself. "You are right, Russel-san. I was not thinking logically." she said softly.

"Terrific. That thing can compel us to _want_ to go outside." Murdoc said from the table. "Fuckin' thing's been toyin' with us all this time."

'_...that's a bad thing, right?' _2D said.

'_Hell yes it's bad.'_ Murdoc retorted, and then said aloud, "It might've pulled something like that on this guy." He held up the book. "He seems like a reasonably intelligent man; for him to leave the cabin during the night when he _knows_ there's something bad lurking out there makes no fuckin' sense at all."

"That's true, man. We've gotta be really careful not to let our guards down." Russel suddenly looked tired and sat back down in the chair. "Jesus. This sabbatical _bites_."

"Yeah." Murdoc agreed, also sitting back down. "Next year, _I_ choose where we go on vacation. And I'm thinking the Gates of Hell," he said.

Russel gave Murdoc a blank stare. "You're kidding, right?"

"Not at all. Their weekly rates are very reasonable, and they offer a kickass discount if you book early enough."

---

'_My baloney 'as a first name; it's O-S-C-A--"_ 2D sang in Murdoc's head.

'_What are you; four?' _Murdoc growled. '_Shut the fuck up.' _

'_But I'm bored.' _2D whined. _'There's nothin' to do in here and I'm tired of just watchin' all of you talk.'_

---

It was approaching midnight as boredom began to set in for the rest of Gorillaz. None of them felt much like sleeping. Russel had taken an old paperback detective novel from the shelf in 2D's bunk and was lying on top of his bedroll trying to read it. Trying to focus on the book and not on the ghost-creature outside was harder then he'd thought it would be. Knowing that the cabin was _not_ a refuge from the creature, that the ghost was _teasing_ them by leading them to believe that they could wait it out until morning, when it could actually draw out any one of them anytime it wanted.

Sighing, Russel looked up at the Japanese girl to see how she was handling what had happened. Noodle was sitting cross-legged on her bunk, strumming her acoustic guitar inattentively and staring off into space. Meanwhile, Murdoc, in an attempt to temporarily forget everything that had happened on this trip so far, was slowly poring over a tall stack of skin magazines, direct from the airport terminal's newspaper stand, and was presently ogling Miss March.

2D had never been as mortified as he was then, knowing every dirty thought and every twisted sexual fantasy that ran through the bassist's brain as soon as he'd thought of them.

He gave the bass slayer a mental nudge to remind him of his presence. _'Murdoc, I love porn as next as the next fellow, but maybe we can look at something else?'_

Murdoc's head snapped up, his mouth in a fierce glower _'For Satan's sake, give me some privacy, man!' _Murdoc replied, furious. _'This is a fuckin' nightmare…'_ he added, shutting the magazine.

'_At least you still have _your_ body. Do you 'ave any idea what it's like just bein' a voice in someone else's head? It gets tiresome.' _2D shot back, somewhat annoyed.

'_You have a fuckin' body, dullard. MINE.'_

'_But that's not the same.' _2D pointed out. _'Right now we're going halfsies on it.'_

Backed into the proverbial corner,—by 2D, of all people—, Murdoc irritably grabbed his worn copy of 'The Wicker Man' from his open duffel. Silently fuming, he opened to the first page, but just glared at the text instead of reading it. _Well, you're welcome to leave at any time, dickweed!'_

There was a minute or two of uncomfortable silence, then 2D began to talk again, clearly upset. _'W-what if I can't, Murdoc? What if whatever we try to get me back in my body doesn't work? I don't even know what _we could_ try. Or what if my body just gives out without me in there and there's nowhere for me to go back _to_, like Noodle said?'_ His voice began to break._ 'I-I don't want to stay like this. I don't...' _There was a miserable choked sob.

2D had just vocalized the bassist's own personal fear as well. Murdoc gritted his teeth as the singer began to bawl. He wished he could just strike 2D across the face like he typically did to get him to shut up. Unfortunately for Murdoc but luckily for 2D, the singer was in the one place the bassist couldn't beat him up. He'd have to try a different method: actually trying to console 2D. _'Look, 'D. Everyone's frightened. I mean, that ghost outside could probably make us all frog-march outside if it wanted, and that would be the end of Gorillaz.'_

2D sniffed. _'Somehow, that doesn't make me feel better.'_

'_Shut up. I'm not finished.' _Murdoc paused. _'…Godammit! I forgot what I was gonna say.'_

'_That's all right, Murdoc. It was nice of you to try to cheer me up.' _2D said. _'But it's 'opeless, isn't it? As soon as that thing's tired of waitin', it'll force us to go outside. Then it won't matter that I'm not in my body.'_

'_What a cheerful thought.' _Murdoc said. _'But we're not dead yet.'_

Noodle's head turned to look at the covered window as a low, gasping moan came from outside. She glanced at her alarm clock. Midnight. The Japanese girl put her guitar down as the moan grew louder until it was a high-pitched shriek.

"Bloody hell!" Murdoc yelled, putting his hands over his ears.

'_What about now?' _2D asked.

Noodle knew what she had to do. Her ears ringing and her eyes wet, she climbed down from her bunk and approached Russel. "Russel-san?" She had to yell to be heard over the ghost.

"Yeah, Noodle?" Like Murdoc, Russel had his hands over his ears.

The young girl looked at him for a moment, and then opened the chest pocket on her jacket and took out a small folded piece of paper. "There are three code-words written on this." She began. "The first one restored my memory. The second one will make me forget everything again." She blinked, and a small tear flowed down her cheek. "The third will turn me into an unstoppable supersolider, capable of destroying anything." She held the paper out to the drummer, refusing to meet his gaze. "It may be our only way out of this, Russel-san."

"Baby-girl, I'd rather die then have you sacrifice yourself for us." Uncovering his ears for a second, he pushed the paper back into her hands. "We're getting out of here alive. All of us."

A skeletal hand suddenly passed through the curtains, as if the glass wasn't there at all. The shrieks grew louder, and suddenly the hooded face of the ghost emerged from the window.

Inside Murdoc's head, 2D screamed in fear.

"_Bright soul_." It said in a raspy voice. "_Why do you hide from me?"_

END: part FOUR

MarqueeMoonGirl sez: Again, thanks for the reviews so far! Keep 'em coming. :D


	5. Dawn

_Living in Twilight_

_By MarqueeMoonGirl_

part FIVE:

---

The rest of the ghost passed through the window with ease. Noodle and Russel could only stare, the teenager hugging the large drummer around the neck.

"_I have waited so long; nearly ten years. I must feed from you tonight or else I will cease to be._" It glided slowly over the bureau, the tattered white cloak billowing out behind it.

"Russel. It doesn't want you or Noodle at the moment. Now would be an excellent chance to get away." Murdoc said quietly, hoping the creature had very bad hearing. "The keys to the Geep are on the table."

"Russel-san." Noodle softly said at the same time, burying her head in the drummer's arms. "I am scared."

"I know, Noodle." He gazed at the young girl in his arms, then up at Murdoc, appearing torn. "You know I can't leave you two." He said to the bassist. "It would be like the drive-by all over again."

"Listen; that thing's so fixated on 2D's soul it's not paying attention to the rest of us." The bass slayer said. "I suggest you get Noodle and yourself the fuck out of here right now before it does. We'll catch up."

Russel shook his head. Hating himself for what he was about to do, Russel rose from the bedroll and grabbed the keys off the table without a sound. The Asian Axe Princess still around his neck, he bounded across the dirty floor of the cabin in two steps and shoved the sofa in front of the door out of the way. The ghost made no motion to stop him, too engrossed by 2D's soul. Unlocking the door, he pulled it open.

"Look!" Noodle yelled, pointing outside. "There are more!"

Outside were dozens of floating, faintly-glowing ragged white cloaks. One of the ghosts closer to the doorstep raised a skeletal arm towards the African-American drummer. "_Souls…" _it whispered.

Scowling, Russel ran through the maze of ghouls like a crazed linebacker, clutching the small teenage guitarist against his chest. He felt the icy touch of the ghosts brush against his skin several times, but didn't stop until he had literally run into the parked Geep at the bottom of the hill.

"Shit!" The drummer rubbed his injured foot for a second, then got back to work. Detaching Noodle and plunking her into the passenger's seat, he climbed into the driver's seat, pounded the key into the ignition and wrenched the vehicle's stick into reverse. Stomping down on the gas, the Geep rocketed backwards out of the driveway and onto the road. Putting the car into gear, Noodle and Russel drove off in a cloud of dust.

'_I hope you know what you're doing, Murdoc-san.'_

---

The roar of the Geep's engine outside told Murdoc that Noodle and Russel had gotten to the Geep. Good. One less thing to worry about. He looked at the ghost, drifting around the cabin, trying to find 2D's bright soul. The singer in question had moved past screaming in terror and was now babbling disjointedly. _'2D, for the love of sweet Satan, shut up! I can't think with you prattling on like this!' _Murdoc shouted at him.

'_That thing's here for me, Murdoc!' _2D yelled._ 'It wants me!'_

'_Then it has really lousy taste, just like your groupies!'_ Murdoc shot back.

The ghost hovered over 2D's bunk, running a bony finger over the singer's face before pulling back in surprise. "_It is not here." _The ghost almost sounded stunned. "_How can that be?" _It suddenly rose to Murdoc's bunk. "_You. You have it."_

"Damn straight." Murdoc said, sitting on the edge of his bunk. "And you're just the person to take him off my hands."

'_Murdoc!' _2D squealed.

Time seemed to slow down as the creature's arms shot out and clutched Murdoc's shoulders. From out of its torso burst a third incorporeal arm, the fingers curved claws. "_I will have the bright soul. I must."_

The bassist's eyes bugged out. "Wai—"The third arm plunged into Murdoc's chest. The bassist felt every muscle in his body suddenly seize up as the claw rooted around for something inside him.

It found what it was looking for. 2D screamed again, this time in sheer pain.

'_NO, I DON'T WANNA DIE!'_ 2D's voice started to fade out, like he was talking through a long tunnel. _'MURDOC, HELP ME! PLEA--'_

It felt like a weight had been lifted off his torso. The clawed hand began to slowly withdraw out of Murdoc's chest, clutching a tiny pinprick of gold light in its bony fingers.

2D's soul.

Despite his paralysis, Murdoc managed to force a grin onto his face. '_Oh no you don't.'_ Still sitting on the edge of his bunk, he leaned forward as much as his rigid muscles would allow. It was enough. Gravity took over and pulled him down to the ground. He landed on the floor with an 'Oomph'.

The ghost wailed its unearthly shriek as the bassist fell out of its hands, the third clawed arm releasing its grip on the gold light and retracted back into the ghost. It bent over, clutching its chest.

Still trying to catch his breath, Murdoc looked down at where the ghost's claw had been. Directly above his inverted crucifix, partially embedded in his chest, was the tiny golden speck. "Well, shit."

"_I…must have it." _The ghost said again, dropping down to where the bassist was. Murdoc raised an eyebrow. It sounded weaker then it had before. It lifelessly reached towards the bassist's chest. Smirking, he swatted the creature's arm away.

The ghost acted like Murdoc's touch had burned it. Screaming, it shot back towards the kitchenette and fell to the ground, clutching its arm, a few wisps of smoke wafting from it.

Murdoc got to his feet. "So you're done. You waited too long; too confident in your ability to manipulate us, eh? Thought you'd get Noodle to let you in, but that didn't work. Coming in here was your last option."

The imprint of the bassist's hand became darker on the white cloak's sleeve, the smoke growing more pronounced.

"And you blew it." He concluded.

"_Please. Have mercy." _It pleaded, reaching out towards the glowing light in the bassist's chest. "_All I need is that bright soul. Or any soul."_

"You're a fine one to talk about mercy." The bass slayer grinned. "Besides, I don't think you'd want my soul anyway. Satan doesn't usually like other demons messing around with what belongs to Him."

"_Please." _The tattered sleeve had burst into flame. "_I need it so badly."_

Murdoc leered, and flipped off the ghost. "Go. To. Hell." Striding over to the monster, he grasped part of the smoldering cloak and tore it away.

---

The Geep pulled into Sullivan's, a small gas station. The windows to the small store next to the gas pumps dark and shuttered, a light over the gas pumps flickered on and off as Russel pulled the key out of the ignition.

"You've been quiet, baby-girl." He said.

"It's…cold out here, Russel-san." Noodle said, her voice breaking.

"Yeah, the mountains are freezing during the night. My dad used to drag me and my mama up here all the time when I was younger; some of his buddies had a small hunting cabin up here. It was nice to be away from the city for a while. But you haven't felt cold until you've experienced this place during a winter night."

Silence settled between them, Noodle shivering slightly in the cold night air. "Russel-san, why did you leave Murdoc-san and 2D-san?" Noodle said suddenly. "T-they could be de…" She couldn't finish her sentence.

Russel reached over and enclosed the girl in an enormous bear-hug. "I know." He said, ghosts of a bloody night on the streets of New York City playing through his head.

---

The ghost screeched deafeningly again as the cloak crumbled to ashes in Murdoc's hands.

He blinked.

Underneath the white robe were thousands of tiny pinpricks of gold light. The souls of the other people the ghost had taken. Together, all of them were so bright they made the bassist's eyes hurt. He stumbled backwards as the gold sparkles abruptly burst from the floor, whipped around him for a moment and then shot through the ceiling like rockets, punching a large hole in the tin roof. His head whipped to the covered picture window as unearthly screeches swept outside the cabin. Throwing back the curtains, he saw the other cloaked ghosts floating outside shrivel up and vanish.

A small black shadow, shaking and bent over on the ground, was all that remained of the ghost-creature. Murdoc sneered and crunched the shadow underneath one Cuban-heeled shoe. He ground the heel into the floor and walked away, leaving a black smear on the floor behind him.

Silence fell over the cabin, save for Murdoc's heaving breaths and the crackle of the burning logs in the iron stove. The blue-haired man was lying stiff on his sleeping bag. He looked down at the gold light of 2D's soul shining in his chest and kneeled in front of the bunk. The singer looked pale and nearly dead.

"You annoy me Stuart. You've been nothing but a fuckin' pain in my arse since the first time I met you." He murmured, grabbing the singer's arm and lifting it up to his chest, right above the gold light. "But Satan help me, you have a decent singing voice." Shutting his eyes, he let go of 2D's arm.

The singer's hand brushed against the gold speck. When the hand dropped back to the soft bedroll, the light had vanished from Murdoc's chest.

2D moaned and rolled his head towards the bassist. His eyes opened a sliver and focused on the older man. "Murd…" His eyes widened, and he looked at his hands. "I'm me again!" The singer yelled. "I'm m-" Sitting upright, he whacked his head against the wooden underside of Murdoc's bunk above him. "Augh!" He cried, clutching his head.

Grinning, Murdoc got to his feet. "Welcome back, 'D."

"Oooh." The singer said, rubbing his skull. "Can we get out of 'ere now?"

---

Hauling all of the suitcases, instruments and assorted bags in the cabin behind them, Murdoc and 2D set off to find the Geep on foot in the dark. Both of them walking on the side of the road, Murdoc in front, holding the flashlight again with 2D behind him, staying much closer to Murdoc then he had when they were getting water from the stream.

"They didn't say where to meet 'em, did they?" 2D said.

"No." said Murdoc, dragging two of Noodle's enormous suitcases with several duffel bags and instrument cases slung over his shoulders.

"Oh. That's not good." 2D said, equally burdened down.

Murdoc agreed via a grunt. "Hopefully, they'll be close. I think Lards has enough sense to stick close by and not go speeding onto the thruway and abandoning us here."

2D nodded. They spent several more minutes of trudging along the side of the road. "Murdoc, what happened? What did you do to that thing?"

Murdoc looked a little embarrassed. "Erm…I squished it with my shoe."

"…you're yankin' my chain, right?"

"When we get someplace with light, I'll show you the stain. It ruined a perfectly good pair of boots."

2D shuddered. "I'll pass." He paused. "Murdoc. Thanks for savin' me and all."

Murdoc tried to shrug, but only succeeded in causing one of the many straps hanging from his shoulder to fall down. "Fuck." He pulled it back up. "'D, can I ask you a few questions?"

2D tilted his head, confused at this un-Murdoc-y behavior. "Sure, I suppose so."

"Do you… remember my memories?"

2D shifted awkwardly. "…do you remember mine?" He asked uneasily. There were _d__efinitely_ a few memories he didn't want the bass slayer to know about.

Murdoc mashed his teeth. "Goddammit; I thought as much." The bassist looked over his shoulder. "And there were a few minutes where you weren't in my head, but you weren't in your body either. What happened to you, man?"

2D looked down at the ground. "It was awful. I couldn't see, talk, hear or feel anything. I-I thought maybe that the ghost had taken me."

Murdoc grinned, two rows of razor-sharp teeth gleaming in the dull moonlight. "He tried, but I stopped him. Nobody takes my lead singer's soul but me."

A blank expression on his face, 2D wasn't sure if this was a good or a bad thing. Luckily, he didn't have a chance to think too much about it. "Look! It's the Geep!" He shouted, pointing.

Murdoc's head swiveled in the direction 2D was pointing. Underneath a flickering light next to a tiny gas station was the muddy Geep, with Noodle curled up asleep in the passenger seat and Russel starting to nod off in the driver's seat.

Dropping the baggage, 2D ran across the dark street and flung his skinny arms around the sleeping Noodle. "Noodle-girl! Look, look! I'm myself!"

The teenaged girl opened her eyes slowly. She looked at 2D, puzzled for a moment until a large smile spread across her face. "2D!" She cried, returning the hug.

Russel grinned and climbed out of the Geep. "Well Murdoc, 'D, glad to see both of you are doing fine."

2D smiled. "We're doing great! Murdoc stepped on the thing!"

Russel looked at the bassist, who was dropping all the assorted suitcases and bags into the back of the Geep. "You killed it by squishing it to death?" He asked, sounding amused.

Murdoc looked slightly uncomfortable. "Yeah. Got a problem with that, Lards?" He asked shortly.

The drummer cuffed Murdoc playfully. "Hell no, man. You're all right, 'D's okay and back where he belongs, and that thing's gone for good. Not a lot more we could ask for."

Murdoc looked up at the starry sky, reflecting on what had happened that night. "I guess." He looked back at his pseudo-family, happy and together once more. Smirking, he climbed into the driver's seat, and waited for Russel and 2D to get in the rumble seat. "Now, let's get the hell outta there 'fore something else happens."

Russel nodded. "Sounds good."

Noodle grinned. "I agree."

2D looked up as a bird squawked in the distance. "Hey, a goo—"

The Geep squealed out of the gas station, whipping the singer's head back mid-sentence.

"—OOOOOSSEE!"

---

END: living IN twilight

MarqueeMoonGirl sez: Thanks to all the people who've read and reviewed this so far. Now that it's done, I'd love to hear all your thoughts on it. (Reviews make me happy. Hint, hint, hint.)


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